Why the World is Smarter than Us – The Daily BeastWhy does the U.S. lag behind our peers when it comes to educating kids? A new book looks at Poland, Finland, and South Korea and comes away with a startling conclusion: they value the intellect more than we do.

The Schoolmaster – The AtlanticDavid Coleman is an idealistic, poetry-loving, controversy-stoking Rhodes Scholar and a former McKinsey consultant who has determined, more than almost anyone else, what kids will learn in American schools. His Common Core national curriculum standards and pending overhaul of the SAT have reignited a thorny debate over how much we should expect from students and schools, and how much is out of their control.

What Teachers Want - The NationIt can’t be good news that a survey of teachers released in March by MetLife found the lowest job satisfaction numbers since 1989, with just 44 percent of respondents describing themselves as “very satisfied” with their classroom careers, and nearly a third considering leaving their jobs.

The Narrative of Poverty, from Mumbai to New York – The Daily BeastKatherine Boo has received deserved praise for her book portraying the poor in India, Behind the Beautiful Forevers. Adrian Nicole LeBlanc did much the same thing for American inner city life eight years ago, in Random Family. The pictures they paint are strikingly, depressingly similar.

Should All Kids Go to College? – The NationSome progressive education reformers have attempted to move beyond the old emotional debates about tracking and expectations, and are sounding the call for a more intellectual version of vocational education.

The Test Generation - The American ProspectWhat happens in the classroom when a state begins to evaluate all teachers, at every grade level, based on how well they “grow” their students’ test scores? Colorado is about to find out.

What Newark Schools Need - The NationThe Newark schools face challenges, but are not the uniquely terrible mess they’ve been portrayed as in the wake of the Mark Zuckerberg donation. I take a close, classroom-level look at what’s already working in Newark education and what isn’t–and explain why philanthropy can’t stem the blood loss of massive state education budget cuts.

Bill Clinton’s Rwanda Guilt — The Daily BeastPaul Kagame helped rebuild after genocide, but he has also brutally repressed political opposition in his country, and contributed to violence in Congo. Dana Goldstein on why Clinton is still protecting the Rwandan president.

Will Your Pills Be Covered? – The Daily BeastBirth control didn’t make the White House’s new list of required health services—but women shouldn’t panic. Dana Goldstein on why the pill may soon be free, and what President Obama must do to ensure politics don’t get in the way

Has Obama Failed the Congo? – The Daily BeastThe administration launched a $17 million program to fight rape in Congo—but is it effective? Dana Goldstein follows the money—and asks if Hillary Clinton’s rhetoric matches reality.

Let Her Have a Sex Scandal – The Daily BeastAs charges of a second affair dog South Carolina GOP candidate Nikki Haley, Dana Goldstein argues that just like male politicians, women politicos have the right to have affairs and stay in the game.

Arizona’s Attack on Kids – The Daily BeastThe state’s immigration battle is now putting children in the hot seat. Dana Goldstein on the Arizona ethnic studies ban and a new bill that could require schools to tattle on illegal immigrant familie

Meet the New Union Boss – The Daily BeastMary Kay Henry, upset winner in the race to take over the SEIU, is about to become one of the most powerful women in progressive politics. Dana Goldstein on the female takeover of the labor movement.

A little-known Wall Streeter challenging a New York House incumbent is the talk of women’s groups. Dana Goldstein on the two well-funded candidates vying for the feminist mantle–Carolyn Maloney and Reshma Saujani.

On the heels of Martha Coakley’s spectacular flameout—and with abortion wars creeping into the health-care debate—the innovative new president of Emily’s List, a group that supports pro-choice women candidates, is hoping Facebook can help her bust Washington’s boys club. Dana Goldstein talks to Stephanie Schriock.

Massachusetts’ Senate upset has left political players wondering what it will take for women to win races in 2010. Dana Goldstein on the implications of Martha Coakley’s defeat—and female candidates to watch this year.

Many Democrats cheered when the health bill passed the House, but pro-choice groups denounced a last-minute amendment to ban coverage of abortions. Now the issue is tearing apart health-reform supporters in the Senate.

Revenge of Ron Paul’s Army – The Daily BeastThree-quarters of the way through 2009, it is fringy Ron Paul, more so than John McCain or any of his other primary opponents, whose ideology is setting the conservative agenda.

Women are leading the way in the Iranian protest movement. Why Iran’s feminists decided they’d finally had enough.

Pink-Collar Blues Many male-dominated professions are suffering an epidemic of job loss. But women aren’t faring so well in the recession, either.Exit Strategy
A new study assessing the withdrawal method finds it is nearly as effective as condoms. Should we teach it to teenagers? The Next Step Toward School IntegrationOn the 55th anniversary of Brown v. Board, there is real evidence that integration — still — matters. Sex Work Two new biographies — one of Helen Gurley Brown and the other of sex researchers William Masters and Virginia Johnson — offer cautionary tales about mixing sex and the workplace.The XXX-FilesPorn industry lobbyists feel out Capitol Hill in a time of economic crisis.

The Questioning Spirit Hebrew schools have long discouraged American Jewish children from thinking critically about Israel. This Passover season, it is time for a change.

The Education Wars Teachers’ unions and reform advocates are locked in a fight over the future of schools. Now the battle lines have started to blur.

Getting Ahead of Congress Yes, the economy and Iraq must be President Obama’s first priorities. But portraying social issues as the “wrong things” — as oppositional to economic and security issues — is unhelpful and almost guarantees a stalemate on key civil-rights goals. Misgivings from conservative Republicans and skittish Democrats should not drive Obama’s agenda. Rather, the president must begin reaching out to Congress to build support on key social issues right away. If he doesn’t lay the groundwork now, future opportunities will be lost.

No Education Silver Bullet In the United States, the education debate has been framed as a zero sum game. But a look at Finland, whose schools rank number one in global surveys, shows that a shared national commitment to education can neutralize political debates over school reform.

Street Fighter Since Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s congestion-pricing plan failed in New York City, his transportation commissioner has taken a piecemeal approach to reclaiming streets from cars.

Advocating for Urbanism Obama has promised to create a White House Office of Urban Policy. What will it look like? Who will run it?

The Identity Politics Election Race, gender, and their discontents never went away, but thanks to this election, we’re actually discussing them again. That’s progress.

Third Term’s a Charm New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s quest for a third term may signal a turn against the term-limits enacted around the country in the early nineties.

Kokesh is the guy who interrupted McCain’s acceptance speech at the RNCC.

The Conservative Case for Urbanism Republicans may have an uneasy relationship to global warming, but some are finding reasons to embrace government projects close to environmentalists’ hearts — like public transit.

The Elephant in the Room Women at the Republican convention react to Bristol Palin’s pregnancy and offer a stark reminder of how limited conservative ideology is in its views of sexuality, education, and choice.

What Hillary Means Now Hillary Clinton’s speech showed that in defeat, she has become a sort of patron saint of the Democratic Party.

The Democratic Education Divide A pre-convention education event was full of anti-union rhetoric, even as teachers’ union members remain among the most loyal of Democratic constituencies.

It’s His Party Barack Obama might be running on a post-partisan platform, but he is more focused on building the Democratic Party than any other candidate in recent history.

Business Schools – The American ProspectEdison, once the brand synonymous with for-profit education, has largely given up on making public schools profitable. Running schools, it turned out, wasn’t a cash cow. The company now hopes that selling technology products to schools will be.

Gender, Jobs, and the Working Class FamilyRoss Douthat and Reihan Salam believe public policy should start at home, by using the tax code to “re-stigmatize” out of wedlock birth. Stigma, though, shouldn’t be the goal of our public policy — creating jobs should be.

The Abortion Counseling Conundrum Pro-choice activists have come to embrace the idea that many women who’ve had abortions can benefit from non-ideological counseling. So why are the groups that provide such counseling having so much trouble raising money?

Feminist Groups Prepare to Back Obama Are angry feminists defecting en masse to the McCain campaign? Far from it. Behind the scenes, many women’s organizations are preparing to fight for an Obama victory in November.June 17, 2008 | By Dana Goldstein | web only

What Hillary Did for Women – The American Prospect We don’t have to wait to see how Hillary Clinton’s campaign changed the role of women in politics. From the vice-presidential competition to punditry to Netroots activism, we’re already seeing positive results.

Should Clinton Consider Albany? – The American ProspectThe decline of Hillary Clinton’s presidential prospects does not change the fact that she is a singularly hard-working, policy-focused politician. Now that Eliot Spitzer is out, perhaps she should consider running for governor of New York.

War With Ourselves – RH Reality CheckThe prevalence of sexual violence against American women fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan is a national shame. U.S. servicewomen today are more likely to be raped by a fellow soldier than killed by enemy fire.

When Obama Voted “No” – RH Reality CheckObama’s opposition to the “Born Alive Infant Protection Act” serves as the basis of anti-choice rhetoric against his candidacy. But BAIPA isn’t really about protecting infants; it is anti-abortion rights legislation crafted by the hard right.

Fractures on the Far Right – RH Reality CheckCatholic anti-choicers were among the first members of the religious right to flock to the McCain campaign, in part because of suspicions of anti-Catholicism within Mike Huckabee’s evangelical movement. Now McCain’s Catholic supporters are incensed by their candidate’s solicitation of an endorsement from a man who has long derided Catholicism

What’s Missing From Democratic Exit Polls? – RH Reality CheckBy including questions about abortion on Republican exit polls, but not Democratic ones, pollsters guarantee the media pays attention to how conservative, anti-choice voters feel about the issue, while overlooking the majority of Americans’ support for broad access to abortion and contraception.

Baby on Board – The New RepublicJohn McCain’s adopted daughter, the great symbol of dirty tricks in 2000′s South Carolina primary, is now being used by McCain himself in a ploy to woo evangelical voters.

Reparations Anxiety – The American ProspectBrown University announced that it will give a $10 million endowment to local public schools to atone for its involvement in the slave trade. But reparations alone will not address the ongoing segregation of the American education system.

Left Behind? – The American ProspectOssining, New York, was at the forefront of school integration. But as American law and public opinion turn against race-based programs, can the town continue to use racial targeting to close the achievement gap?

Race-Baiting on the Ballot – The American ProspectImmigration isn’t the only explosive racial issue facing voters in the coming election year — the anti-affirmative action movement is pushing 2008 ballot initiatives across the country. Is economic populism the antidote?

Stupid White Men – The GuardianThe Democratic party shouldn’t abandon its progressive agenda in pursuit of white male voters. For one thing, it doesn’t need them.

Jenna Bush Reconsidered – The American ProspectForget the stories about drinking and partying. With her new book on the problems of poverty, AIDS, and sex abuse in Latin America, Jenna Bush seems to be growing up — and outgrowing her family’s conservative politics.

Segregated Schools Leave Children Behind – The American ProspectNCLB ignored a key underlying sociological problem — segregation — that contributes to the achievement gap. We’ve known for a long time that separate cannot be equal, but as NCLB’s supporters well understood, it is doubtful the bill would have passed had it imposed on privileged white people any substantive responsibility for the achievement of minority students.

Dr. Yes-Man – The American ProspectDr. James Holsinger doesn’t inspire confidence that, if confirmed as surgeon general, he would be independent enough to withstand Bush’s political and ideological pressure.

Hillary and the Chick Factor – The American ProspectThe competing demands of identity politics were very much on the minds of young voters who came out to see Clinton in downtown Washington, many of whom described themselves as torn between the gravitas of Clinton’s health care and diplomatic experience and the excitement surrounding the Barack Obama campaign.

Circumcision Promotion Divides AIDS Activists- In These TimesMany activists are concerned about extrapolating prevention methods for American high-risk men, many of whom are bisexual or gay, from the African circumcision studies, which were conducted primarily among heterosexual groups. Meanwhile, others question how a male partner’s circumcision affects a woman’s susceptibility to HIV.